Western Springs Reserve, also known as Western Springs Lakeside Park, consists of a sanctuary for wildlife, surrounding a lake fed by the natural springs. There are walking paths surrounding the lake with bridges going across sections of it. Auckland Zoo,

MOTAT The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is a science and technology museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum ha ...

and

Western Springs Stadium Western Springs Stadium is a stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. Built within a natural amphitheatre, it is primarily used for rugby union matches during the winter and for speedway during the summer. It is also occasionally used for large concer ...

are all situated around the park.

History

The park is the site of a natural freshwater aquifer, where water comes through the surface through cracks in basalt lava flow from Te Tātua a Riukiuta. The aquifer and wetland were traditionally known by the name Te Wai Ōrea to

Tāmaki Māori Tāmaki Māori are Māori '' iwi'' and ''hapū'' (tribes and sub-tribes) who have a strong connection to Tāmaki Makaurau (the Auckland Region), and whose rohe was traditionally within the region. Among Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the M ...

, referring to the eels that lived in the lake. Prior to European settlement, the land was primarily a

pūriri ''Vitex lucens'', or pūriri, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. History Pūriri was first collected (by Europeans) at Tolaga Bay by Banks and Solander during Cook's first visit in 1769. The plant was excellently described by Solan ...

lava rock forest ecosystem, a now rare ecosystem consisting of plants growing in a minimal soil environment, growing amongst rock and leaf humus. In 1877, an earth dam was constructed to create a larger artificial lake, in order to serve as the source of Auckland's drinking water. The Western Springs lake was the source for Auckland's drinking water for the next 30 years. In 1922, the Auckland Zoo was opened adjacent to the lake, followed by the

in 1929 and

in 1964. During the Depression in the early 1930s, the area adjacent to Motions Road was developed as a camping ground. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the camping ground was used as a military camp for the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

. Afterwards, Western Springs was proposed as a site for an amusement park in 1953, however this did not eventuate due to a lack of funding. In 1961, the

Auckland City Council Auckland City Council was the local government authority for Auckland City, New Zealand, from 1871 to 1 November 2010, when it and Auckland's six other city and district councils were amalgamated to form the Auckland Council. It was an elected b ...

parks department began administering the area, and in 1977 it was officially opened as a public park. The Fukuoka Garden was developed in the park in 1989, gifted to Auckland by

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

in recognition of their sister city relationship. This garden was officially added to the park in 2017.

Biodiversity

Waterfowl, such as swans, pūkeko and ducks make up a significant proportion of the visible wildlife of the park. While birdfeeding has historically been a large draw for the public to come to the park, this behaviour is being discouraged due to the negative effects this has on the environment. The park is home to significant numbers of native eels, ''

Anguilla australis The short-finned eel (''Anguilla australis''), also known as the shortfin eel, is one of the 15 species of eel in the family Anguillidae. It is native to the lakes, dams and coastal rivers of south-eastern Australia, New Zealand, and much of th ...

'' and '' Anguilla dieffenbachii'', in addition to a number of pest species such as koi carp.

Grass carp The grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') is a species of large herbivorous freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae, native to the Pacific Far East, with a native range stretching from northern Vietnam to the Amur River on the Sino-Russi ...

were introduced into the lake in 2005, in order to control invasive plant species. The park has a mix of exotic and native plant species. A number of threatened and rare New Zealand species are found in the park, including the haplolepideous moss '' Fissidens berteroi'', short-hair plume grass (''

Dichelachne inaequiglumis ''Dichelachne'' is a genus of Australian, Indonesian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family. They are known commonly as plumegrasses.Cassytha paniculata'' (mawhai).

References

{{Waitematā Local Board Area Lakes of the Auckland Region Parks in Auckland Protected areas of the Auckland Region Nature reserves in New Zealand Urban forests in New Zealand Waitematā Local Board Area Wetlands of New Zealand